Why Iron Photography is More Than Just Pictures

Iron photography, an engaging niche within the broader photography world, delves into capturing the essence of iron in all its forms. From towering industrial frameworks and historic wrought iron craftsmanship to the intricate details of rust and decay, this genre showcases the material’s diversity, strength, and aesthetic appeal. It’s a testament to iron’s enduring role in shaping human civilization, art, and industry.

Old Butter Factory

Stopped by Bellingen to photograph these old iron objects at the Old Butter Factory, close to sunset. Loved using my 35mm macro lens to find objects and then think/feel composition. Got so many shots but because of the light, I’m tending towards this one

Why Dive Into Iron Photography?

Cultural Footprint: Iron’s pivotal role in history and society makes it a compelling subject, offering insights into human ingenuity and cultural evolution.
A Visual Feast: The transformation of iron through weathering introduces a palette of textures, patterns, and tones, making it a rich subject for artistic exploration.
Challenge Accepted: The unique properties of iron, including its reflective and textured surfaces, present photographers with rewarding technical challenges.

Mastering the Craft: Key Techniques

Mastering iron photography involves harnessing natural light to accentuate the metal’s texture and form, reducing glare for clearer shots. Strategic composition is crucial to highlight the beauty and complexity of iron structures or details. Choosing the right lens, from wide-angle for grand structures to macro for intricate textures, is essential. Additionally, capturing the unique hues of rusted or patinated iron requires deciding when to use vibrant colors or dramatic black and white for the desired effect.

Practical Advice for Iron Photography

When exploring industrial sites or aged structures, always prioritize safety and ensure you have secured the necessary permissions for shooting in private or restricted areas. Additionally, enhance the visual appeal of iron in post-processing by focusing on texture and color without overdoing it.

Photo BootCamp Magazine

Let’s explore the imaginative photographs created by our BootCamp members, drawing inspiration from the most influential photographers.

And be sure to check out how you can join BootCamp at the end of the magazine!

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Below is a small sample of what’s in this magazine…

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Inside BootCamp Magazine

Featured Artist

Let’s take a look at this month’s magazine. Here is our featured artist of the month, Laura Griffiths, from South Africa.

Her collection of Lighthouses and Shipwrecks is small but ever on the increase as she encounters them, especially around the Southern African coast. Also, she just read an enthralling documentary of a sea rescue off the Namibian coast. It’s all absolutely true, almost unbelievably so, and thus when she came across this image from 2021 from her visit to the southernmost tip of Africa it gelled immediately. She shot a few long exposures but she thought the roughness and violence of the waves even on a sunny blue sky day helps to give the idea of how dangerous the ocean is around the Cape of Storms and the long exposure does nothing to portray that. View the rocks on the left of the image just under the water. The ocean and salt have done the damage to the hull in a remarkably short time. Even a few years after its demise it was already badly rusted.

Comment: Glenys Ruth Prins – “I love the story that this picture tells. It tells the story of the past (the shipwreck) and the continuing story of how nature can damage man-made objects. The waves and rocks add drama to the photo. I also love the birds rearing on the railings.”

Cover Image

This month’s featured magazine cover image is from Greg Skehan, from Australia.

He found the remains of this lovely old truck when travelling in Namibia. To him, it depicts “Aged Beauty”. He also like the fact that in a bizarre way, it is still performing a function by being host to the resident’s more healthy-looking cactus plant. Most old objects were built with care by skilled tradespeople as opposed to much of modern equivalents and these older objects often show a different kind of beauty as they age.

Comment: Steve Darnell – “This is a great image, Greg! When Brent introduced the Iron challenge, this is exactly the type of image that came to mind for me, a rusted-out old piece of junk sitting in a beautiful landscape; an apocalypse kind of image. The colors here are excellent. Well done.”

Active Members

Let’s explore the creative shots of our Bootcamp members in the Iron Photography challenge. Each image is a testament to their unique vision and skill.

We’ll start with Kerrie Clarke from Australia. She shot this image in her backyard. Iron ore comes from the earth…. and this is just showing it returning to the earth! Metal junk rusting up the back at her place.

Comment: Brent Mail – “Love the spiderwebs on your page piece of iron Kerrie, gives your image an even older look. Also really like the deep blacks and the fine-art feel. Stunning work!”

Next, we have Nick Ellis from Australia. A photo of a Veritas low angle block plane (a nifty woodworking tool), taken against a black velvet background. Single light source from the right. Deliberately underexposed. Stand removed in post and photo converted to black and white. He may have upped the contrast a little. Going for the minimalist look and a bit of mystery!

Comment: Lynton Stacey – “Nick, you have achieved great lighting to create a mysterious image, leaving plenty of negative space. Well done.”

Valerie Worthen from the United States is next. Taken in Death Valley, California. This is a borax mine wagon that was used in the 1800’s at one of the old abandoned mines.

Comment: Denis O’Byrne – “Hi Valerie. I like how you have got down to this shot. Nice clarity and depth.”

Then we have Romy Villanueva from the Philippines. The Cloud Forest and the Flower domes at Singapore Gardens by the Bay were built using steel grids and plexiglass to allow sunlight to pass through. The Cloud Forest dome houses a man-made mountain with a waterfall and flowering and ornamental plants all around. Two stainless steel bridges/walkways (middle and upper level) go around the mountain that serve as view decks for the visitors as they walk through. He took this shot of his son on the lower bridge while he was taking a photo of them on the upper-level walkway. Converted it to BW in the and processed in the style of Fan Ho.

Comment: Richard Hutson – “Fascinating photo, Romy … the over-arching white element draws you in for a closer look to see how the pieces fit together, and the little white figures on the bridge add great perspective. The black & white rendering is essential.”

And next we have Eugene Brannan from the United States. Sneaking an additional “Iron” shot in before the hangout. This is an image from his files taken during a photo expedition that he had done to Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark in Birmingham, AL in the United States a number of years ago. It operated as a pig iron-producing blast furnace from 1882 to 1971. After closing, it became one of the first industrial sites in the U.S. to be preserved and restored for public use. It’s amazing to walk in, around and under the furnaces that would heat the iron ore to massive temperatures needed to melt the iron away from the waste materials. This image is a close-up of a couple of large gear cogs on one of the furnaces. As you can tell, it has been weathered with the rust beginning to take over the surface of the gear. He re-edited this image in Lightroom and also used Topaz Photo AI.

Comment: Sig Rannem – “This is a fabulous shot Eugene! I love the details and the patterns. The rough pitted surfaces and the beautiful contrasting colours are gorgeous – great capture!”

And next, we have Andrew Robinson from Australia.

Comment: Greg Skehan – “A very artistic photo Andrew – I really like it, particularly the colour combinations, the variants of texture and the composition. Many thanks for posting it.”

And finally, we have Keri Down from Australia. She is holed up at home post knee reconstruction but she did manage to trek across her loungeroom to her clock which is iron. She is not at her most steady right now and of course, the tripod is in the car so not the best however, she edited it in a way for a vintage feel. She used AP, with a wide-angle lens up very close.

Comment: Peter Brody – “Keri, metaphorically, your photo represents a “time” for us to celebrate Bootcamp’s Birthday and to wish you a “speedy” recovery from your knee surgery. Get better soon! The sepia tone really adds to the mood you created.”

Summary

Iron photography captures the beauty of iron in all its forms, emphasizing its historical and aesthetic significance.
Techniques include mastering lighting, composition, lens selection, and capturing rust colors.
Photographers are advised to prioritize safety, obtain permissions, and refine images through post-processing.
Effective planning and fieldwork are crucial for diverse and compelling shots.
The genre tells stories of industrialization and artistry, focusing on detail and composition.

Did you enjoy this article? Check out these related articles, too:

Architecture Photography Tips Learn how to capture beautiful lines, light and form.
Through the Lens of Masters: Shaping Your Photographic Style Exploring the Artistic Journey of Iconic Photographers (Ansel Adams, Fan Ho & Michael Kenna)
Parallel Worlds in Frames: Juxtaposition in Photography Crafting Captivating Stories Through Contrast

Do This Now

Please leave me a comment below – I’d love to know what you think. Brent

Capturing Strength: The Art of Iron Photography